Day after her arrest, Haryana women panel’s vice chair remanded in judicial custody

Chandigarh: The duty magistrate of the Sonipat district courts on Sunday remanded Sonia Aggarwal, vice-chairperson, Haryana State Commission for Women (HSCW), to judicial custody while ordering one day ACB (anti-corruption bureau) custody for her driver, Kulbeer Singh.
The ACB officials on Sunday produced Sonia Aggarwal and Kulbeer Singh before Jasmine Preet Kaur, the civil judge senior division officiating as the duty magistrate. While presenting the two before the court, the ACB team pressed for the custody of Kulbeer Singh to ascertain more details linked to the investigation of the case and the recovery of case properties.
The ACB on Saturday arrested Aggarwal and Kulbeer Singh for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a junior basic teacher. The teacher is facing a complaint of family dispute, filed by his estranged wife – a woman cop in the Haryana Police, and the said complaint was being dealt with by Sonia Aggarwal.
Recently, Sonia Aggarwal had called the couple for counselling. In the backdrop, it is alleged that she demanded Rs 1 lakh from the teacher to settle the case, and the entire transaction was to be done through Kulbeer Singh.
Kulbeer was the first to land in the trap laid by the ACB in presence of the duty magistrate. Later, Sonia Aggarwal was also picked up and consequently arrested in a case registered against her at ACB police station in Rohtak.
Meanwhile, in a related development, after facing the ACB action, the govt is now mulling action against Sonia. Sources said the director general, women and child development, had prepared the file and sought details from the ACB about the action against Sonia Aggarwal.
The director is expected to submit the report to the minister in-charge, Shruti Choudhary, on Monday for further perusal by the govt. Sources said Aggarwal was faced with removal or at least suspension. “Let the official concerned submit its recommendation and report. Accordingly, action will be taken,” said a senior official.
Chairperson of the commission Renu Bhatia maintained that the govt had not yet sought her comments in the case. “Our govt is working on the commitment of zero tolerance on corruption. The ACB has justified its action. Let the govt ask me to comment, we shall proceed accordingly,” she said.